Grain-measure.



A. GOSFORD.

V GRAIN MEASURE.

APPLIUATION I'ILBD SEPT. 21, 1908.

Patented Aug. 16, 1910.

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A. GOSPORD.

GRAIN MEASURE.

APPLICATION FILED snr'r. 21,1900.

Patented Aug. 16,1910.

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ALEXANDER COSFORD, OF QAK LAKE, MANITOBA, CANADA.

GRAIN-MEASURE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented A11 16, 1910.

Application filed September 21, 1908. Serial No. 453,996.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALEXANDER Cosrono, a subject of the King of England,residing at Oak Lake, in the Province of Manitoba and Dominion ofCanada, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Grain-Measures, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to measuring instruments having special referenceto a device for measuring quantities of grain.

An object of this invention is to construct a receptacle to bepositioned against the open end of a conveyor for the purpose ofreceiving the grain therefrom and shutting off the flow of rain from theconveyer when the receptacTe has been filled.

A further object of this invention is the provision of means incombination with the conveyer for releasing the grain from thereceptacle and of closing the receptacle automatically for the receptionof another quantity of grain from the conveyor.

The invention has for a still further object a device of this characterwhich co1nprises but few parts, is of simple structure and is durableand strong so as to produce a grain measure which will give greatersatisfaction than any of such devices heretofore produced.

Uther objects and advantages will be apparent from the followingdescription, and it will be understood that changes in the specificstructure shown and described may be made within the scope of the claimswithout departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification, and in whichlike numerals of reference indicate similar parts in the several views,Figure 1 is a side elevation of the complete device, Fig. 2 is a frontelevation of the same, Fig. 3 is a top plan view, Fig. 4 is alongitudinal section of the apparatus, Fig. 5 is a side elevation indetail of the device, from a direction opposite to that of Fig. 1, Fig.6 is a horizontal trans verse section through the receptacle 22.

Referring to the drawings, 10 designates a grain elevator having anoutlet spout or duct 11 formed at its upper end in the forward facethereof, which is adapted to be closed by a gate 12 hingedly supportedupon a rod 13 pivoted upon the side of the elevator 10. The rod 13 isnormally held in a depressed position by a spring 14 secured at itsopposite ends to the rod 13 and to the elevator 10. The spring 14 servesto keep the gate 12 at a normal closed position. The rod 13 is raised bymeans of a wrist pin 15 which is carried upon the outer face of a gear16 which when rotating engages the rod 13 and raises the same againstthe tension of the spring 14. The gear 16 is mounted upon a shaft 17which extends through the conveyer 10 and supports at its oppositeextremity a crank arm 18 which carries the longitudinally slotted end ofa reciprocating lever 19 which is pivoted centrally to the adjacent sideof the elevator 10 as at 25. The lower extremity of the lever 19 carriespivotally a rod 20 which is pivotally connected to the adjacent side ofthe bottom 21 of a receptacle 22. The receptacle 22 is secured to theface of the elevator 10 adjacent to the outlet llthereof and is held insuch position by braces 23. The bottom 21 is slidably supported uponguides 24 which are positioned at the opposite sides of the receptacle22 and allow free reciprocating movement of the bottom 21. The lever 19is secured intermediately of its length upon the extremity of a rod 25extending through the elevator 10 and having attached to its oppositeextremity a pendent arm 26 which extends dmvnwardly in parallel with thelever 19 and pivotally supports a rod 27 which is pivoted intermcdiatelyupon the adjacent slde of the bottom 21. The endless chain conveyer 28which is positioned in the elevator 10 is supported at the upper end ofthe elevator upon a shaft 29 carrying a small gear 32 meshed with thegear 16, the shaft 29 extending through the elevator 10 and carryingupon its extremity, a large sprocket 31.

The gear 16 is provided with a notch 33 in one edge thereof which admitsof the passage of the teeth of the gear 32 without actuating the gear16. This arrangement prevents the teeth of the two gears from meshingand the gear 16 is permitted to mesh with the gear 32 only by raisingthe forward extremity of the lever 34, which is pivoted to the elevator10 and extends up- .wardly and rearwardly therefrom. In its upwardmovement it engages as shown against a block 35 formed upon the outerface of the gear 16 to serve the purpose of carrying the gear 16forwardly to mesh the same with the gear 32.

The lever 341 extends centrally of the reupper open end and supports avertical shaft 38 centrally of the receptacle 22 upon which the float 36is loosely mounted. The

shaft 38 is of rectangular cross section and consequently the float 36is caused to rotate when the shaft 38 is actuated and the float 36 ispermitted to travel upwardly under the pressure of the substance whichis poured into the receptacle 22 and which rises beneath the float 36.The shaft 38 is provided with a beveled gear 39 which meshes with asecond gear 40 disposed upon a stub shaft 41 which supports at its outerextremity a sprocket 42 disposed in alinement with the sprocket 31. Achain 43 is disposed about the two sprockets 31 and 42 for the purposeof connecting the same and of transmitting motion from one to the other.

The operation of the device is as follows: The chain conveyer 28 in theelevator 10 is set in motion to cause the conveying of grain to the topof the elevator 10 and to deliver the same through the spout 11 into thereceptacle 22. hen the chain 28 is actuated, the shaft 29 is revolvedand the sprocket 31. is thereby actuated and caused to operate a chain43 to rotate a sprocket 42 which sets in motion the shaft 38 through themedium of the stub shaft 41 and the gears 40 and 39 respectively. Thisarrangement causes the float 36 to travel around on the surface of thegrain contained in the receptacle 22 and to remain on the surface as thequantity increases owing to the upwardly curved edges of the wings ofthe float 36 and to the fact that the float 36 is slidably mounted upontheshaft 38.

Vhen the receptacle is filled with grain the float 36 is positioned atthe top of the receptacle 22 and it is caused to strike the forward endof the lever 34 which raises the sanie and causes it to strike the block35 and to rotate the gear 16 sufficiently to allow the same to mesh withthe gear 32 and to be actuated thereby. hen the gear 16 is retated thelever 13 is released from its upward posit-ion by reason of thedisplacement of the wrist pin 15 from beneath the same and the lever 13is drawn downwardly under the tension of the spring 14 and caused toslide the gate 12 into a closed position and to prevent the further flowof grain from the extremity of the spent 11. The spring 14 is used toinsure the fall of the gate 12 when the pin 15 has moved a suflicientdistance to allow the lever 13 to fall. When the gear 16 is rotated theshaft 17 is carried therewith and the crank arm 18 is caused to revolveand to reciprocate the upper extremity of the lever 19 owing to itsslotted engagement therewith. As the lever 19 is rigidly secured uponone extremity of the rod 25 and as the arm 26 is similarly secured uponthe opposite extremity of the rod 25 the lower extremities of the lever19 and the arm 26 are caused to oscillate in parallel and to slide thebottom 21 of the receptacle 22 owing to their pivotal connectiontherewith through the medimn of the rods 20 and 27. As the wrist pin 15and the crank arm 18 are disposed on the same radius of the shaft 17,the gate 12 will be closed upon the opening of the bottom 21 and theflow of grain will be stopped during the emptying of the receptacle 22.I

hat is claimed is:

1. A device of the class described comprising a duct member having adelivery opening, a revoluble shaft carried thereby, said shaft having agear at one end, a second shaft disposed beneath the first shaft, :1gear carried by the second shaft and adapted to mesh with the first gearat times and carrying a lateral projection, a gate disposed over thedelivery opening, a lever carried by the duct member, said lever restingupon said projection normally and supporting the gate, said projectionbeing arranged to permit the gate to be lowered when the gear isrotated, a receptacle arranged to receive material from said deliveryopening, and means for bringing the second gear into ongagement with thefirst gear at times.

2. A device of the class described including an elevator, a revolubletransverse shaft, a sprocketon one extremity of said shaft, a receptacleadjacent said elevator, a float therein, a bracket on said receptacle, astub shaft on said bracket, a sprocket on said stub shaft, a chaindisposed about said sprockets, a gear on said stub shaft, a verticallydisposed transversely angular shaft mounted centrally in saidreceptacle, a gear on said vertical shaft adapted to mesh with saidfirst gear, a gear carried by the first shaft, a shaft disposed beneathsaid first shaft, a gear carried upon one extremity of said last namedshaft adapted to mesh at times wit-h the last named gear, a leverdisposed on said elevator for meshing said gears on said elevator, saidlever being arranged and adapted to be actuated by the float in saidreceptacle.

3. A device of the class described including a duct member, a closurethereon, an operating lever engaged with the closure, yielding meanstending to hold the closure in closed position, a receptacle disposed toreceive material from the duct, :1 revoluble gear mounted adjacent thelever and having a wrist pin thereon adapted to engage the lever foropening of the closure, said gear having a notch therein, a second gearmounted revolubly adjacent the first gear and adapted for engagementwith said first gear at times but normally rotating freely in the notch,means for rotating the last named gear, and a controlling member adaptedto be aifected by material discharged into the receptacle from saidduct, and operative connections between said controlling member and thefirst gear for bringing said first gear into engagement with the lastnamed gear when the receptacle contains a predetermined quantity ofmaterial 4. A device of the class described comprising a duct member, aclosure carried thereby, an operating member carried by the closure, anactuating member adapted to engage the operating member at times,operative means for the actuating member normally out of engagementtherewith, said actuating member being adapted to be thrown intoengagement with said operative means at times, a receptacle disposed inposition to receive material from the duct, a

closure in the base of the receptacle, an operating member engaged withthe last named closure, means connecting the operating member with theactuating member, a float member disposed within the receptacle andadapted to be raised by material discharged thereinto, and operativeconnections between the float member and said actuating member forbringing the latter into engagement with said operating means to actuateboth of the closures for checking of the passage of material from theduct and discharge of material from the receptacle.

5. In a device of the class described, the combination with a ductmember, of a closure therefor, an operating member engaged with theclosure for opening the same, an actuating member for the operatingmember, motive means for the actuating member normally out of engagementtherewith, a receptacle disposed adjacent the duct for re ception ofmaterial therefrom, said receptacle having a closure at its bottom, anoperating member engaged with the closure, means connecting saidoperating member with said actuating member, a movable member disposedwithin the receptacle and adapted to be engaged by material dischargedthereinto, and means adapted to be engaged by the movable member whenmaterial in the receptacle is at a predetermined height for bringingsaid actuating member into engagement with the motive means for closureof the duct and discharge of the receptacle.

6. In a device of the class described, the combination with a ductmember, a closure therefor, an oscillating rod engaged with the closurefor closing operation thereof, a revoluble gear having a lateral pinengaged with the rod to hold the same normally in open position, saidgear having a notch therein, an operating gear disposed in position tomove freely in the notched portion,

a receptacle disposed in position to receive material from the duct,said receptacle'having a closure at its bottom, operative connectionsbetween the closure and the notched gear, a movable member disposedwithin the receptacle and adapted to be moved by material dischargedthereinto, an engaging member disposed adjacent the notched gear andarranged to be engaged by said movable member when raised to apredetermined height for rotation of the notched gear into engagementwith the op erating gear for actuation of the two closures, for thepurpose described.

7. In an article of the class described, the combination with a ductmember having a closure, an operating rod engaged with the closure,means normally tending to force the closure into closed position, arevoluble gear disposed adjacent the rod and having a lateral pinengaged with the rod to hold the closure normally in open position, saidgear having a notch therein, an operating gear disposed adjacent thefirst gear and a apted normally to rotate freely in the notched portion,a revoluble shaft engaged with the second gear, a sprocket carriedthereby, a re ceptacle arranged to receive material from said conductingmember, said receptacle having a closure at its bottom, normally inclosed position, operative connections be tween the closure and thenotched gear for opening of the closure at times, a verticaltransversely angular revoluble shaft disposed within the receptacle, avertically slidable block carried thereby, radial trans versely inclinedblades carried by the block, operative connections for the shaft forrotation of the blades to engage against material discharged into thereceptacle for raising of the block, above the surface of such material,and a starting member projecting over the receptacle and adapted to beengaged by the block when at a predetermined height, said startingmember being adapted to engage the notched gear when actuated to causethe engagement of the gear with the operative means and actuation of theclosures for the purpose described.

8. In a device of the class described, the combination with a ductmember, a closure therefor, an operating rod for the closure, meanstending to hold the closure in closed position, a revoluble shaft, agear carried thereby, a peripherally notched gear disposed therebeneathand having a lateral pin adapted to engage the operating rod to hold theclosure normally in open position, said first named gear being normallymovable freely in the notch of the second gear, a receptacle arranged toreceive material from the duct, a closure at the base of the recep-,tacle, operative connections between the closure and said notched gear,a vertical trans-1 versely angular shaft mounted revolubly Within thereceptacle, a float member slidably engaged thereon and adapted to belifted upon the surface of material discharged into the receptacle, astarting mem- 5 her arranged to be engaged by the float When at apredetermined height for movement of the notched gear into engagementWith the first named gear, a beveled gear carried at the top of saidvertical shaft, a horizontal 10 shaft carried by the receptacle, a gearcar ried thereby in mesh with the first named beveled gear, andoperative connections be tween said last named shaft and the first namedrevoluble shaft.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature, 15 in presence of twoWitnesses.

ALEXANDER COSFORD. Vitnesses:

DONALD MOBETH, JAMES EDWIN SLIMMON.

